Day 32 – Celtikci to Istanbul

Distance: 18km

Elevation: 193m

My rest day had been quite peaceful and not boring at all.

I went swimming several times in very clear water.

I was all alone and the entire beach to myself.

I saw small crabs with shells moving around on the sea floor.

Also, I ate my very first mulberry (Maulbeere). Yussuf had given it to me. It tasted a bit like German “Milchreis”. They were growing here in the garden just like that.

We had a chat about his past businesses, living in Turkey, the economic instability and the reign of Erdogan.

Yussuf was 60 years old. Before this camping ground, he had owned a beach club for several years nearby. Before that he had been the patron of a restaurant. Also, he had been renting out sailboats. Earlier, he had been shipping Turkish fruits to Siberia.

He appeared to be stimulated very much by new things.

Regarding Erdogan, he was of the opinion that it was time for a change after all this years. Undoubtedly, he had done many good things for the country but now it was time for him to make room for someone new.

In the afternoon, I went to a nearby restaurant to have an early dinner.

I was the only foreigner. Even though Turkish people cover a huge variety of skin colors from pale white to dark olive, I listened in on every single table just to check.

Even though I couldn’t understand a word, I could identify some dialects meanwhile.

After a while, a couple was paying at a neighboring table. I heard them say the word “bicikli” (bicycle). I didn’t give it any meaning.

A little later the guy, while leaving, slapped me on the shoulder and said in German “Your dinner has been paid”. I was perplexed and asked “Thank you … but why”. The woman said in German “Our best regards to Germany!”

They drove away on two big scooters. I was lost for words.

These acts of kindness are really unforgettable.

The next morning, I got up at 5am to make it in time to the ferry from Bandirma to Istanbul. The harbor was just 13km away.

I packed up, cycled over and had enough time, for a quick breakfast by the harbor.

The ferry was a high speed catamaran. We covered the 200km in under 3 hours. Due to the speed one had to stay inside. It was basically a sea bus.

We arrived in Istanbul at 10:30am. Within 3km I was at the Hagia Sophia. Finally.

Everything went so quickly. I focused on getting good pictures and footage.

Direct opposite was the so-called Blue Mosque.

I could not feel any victory or satisfaction. I was still functioning and could not yet grasp what had happened.

I stood there and stared for a while. But there were too many tourists to really enjoy it.

I called Carolin to share with her what I saw. We had been together in Luxor, Egypt, earlier this year. There we had visited the Karnak temple amongst many others.

This temple was missing an obelisk and this missing one could actually be found here in Istanbul, just around the corner from the Hagia Sophia. Amazing.

I went on to find my hostel. As always, I had tried to be very cheap on budget. But it looked like this had not been a good choice. There were too many red flags. For starters, there was no safe place for Rosinante.

So, I cancelled my reservation and called a place that had been recommended to me by a friend. They had one room left indeed. Much more expensive but it was a wonderful place.

The traffic in the old town of Istanbul is pure anarchy. Even the police is honking. Nobody obeys any rules. It was fun to watch.

After a shower and a nap, I went to a barber shop to get a proper hair and beard trim. There were four seats in a garage sized room and all were taken. About 8 people were sitting, standing or working. Within seconds one chair was made available and the maestro himself took care of me.

I had never been shaved before by someone else, especially not with a super sharp blade. Let alone have someone trim my beard for 15min. It was quite enjoyable and a really physical experience. I had never been so well shaved in my entire life.

As I was still in adventure mode, I ventured into a hammam next door. Allegedly, it was in operation since 1505, so for over 500 years. This was no tourist place, I could tell for sure.

There one area designated to women. But I could see only men.

I had no idea how things worked around here. There were no signs or anybody else to watch. I did find the sauna though.

Eventually, the “masseur” came. He gave me orders in Turkish what I should do or not do. As in Germany or in the US, he would speak louder to me when I did not understand something right away.

It was truly funny. He did not smile a bit though.

Being naked is a no-no here. You have to wear a towel at all times. Even if it is totally soaked.

The scrub and the massage experience were a mix of car wash and food processing plant. It was anything but gentle and truly painful at times. But I enjoyed it.

I have never felt so clean in my entire life. I was sure that I was missing a full layer of skin.

I wandered through the old town of Istanbul and went for dinner in a nice family run place.

The food was delicious as usual.

Next year, I would come here together with Carolin to do some proper sightseeing.

My god, I cannot even start to describe how thankful I am for this experience.